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Egyptians Following Right Path, Kerry Says

During a visit to Cairo on Sunday, Secretary of State John Kerry urged military leaders, including Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, right, to stick to their “road map.”Credit
Pool photo by Jason Reed

CAIRO — In the highest-level American visit here since the Egyptian military removed the country’s first democratically elected president from power, Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Egyptian leaders on Sunday to stick to their “road map” for restoring democracy.

In substance as well as tone, Mr. Kerry’s visit to Egypt reflected the Obama administration’s determination to work with a military leadership that ruthlessly put down protesters from the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement that put forth the successful candidacy of President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted on July 3. A military government, now firmly entrenched here, has promised to establish a civilian-led government.

“The road map is being carried out to the best of our perception,” Mr. Kerry said, referring to the plan by the Egyptian authorities to conduct a national referendum on an amended Constitution and hold parliamentary and presidential elections by next spring.

“There are questions we have here and there about one thing or another,” he added in a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart. “I think it’s important for all of us, until proven otherwise, to accept that this is the track Egypt is on and to work to help it to be able to achieve that.”

Mr. Kerry met with Egypt’s interim president, Adly Mansour, and Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, the powerful minister of defense, who spearheaded the ouster of Mr. Morsi. But General Sisi and Mr. Mansour did not pledge that they would not extend Egypt’s state of emergency when it lapses on Nov. 14, as Mr. Kerry had requested.

Mr. Kerry did not raise one of the most wrenching chapters in Egypt’s political life: Mr. Morsi’s murder trial, which is scheduled to begin on Monday. Mr. Morsi has been detained since he was ousted in July. Instead, Mr. Kerry reaffirmed that Egypt should avoid politically motivated arrests, ensure due process for detainees and establish an inclusive government that is open to political rivals who eschew violence, State Department officials said.

Cairo was the first stop in an eight-nation trip that will include a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday between Mr. Kerry and King Abdullah on the new strains between the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Though the official Egyptian news agency had noted that Mr. Kerry was headed to Cairo, the State Department did not confirm the stop in advance, out of concern for security and perhaps to limit the possibility of anti-American demonstrations.

During his stop in Cairo, which lasted several hours, Mr. Kerry also met with the Egyptian foreign minister, Nabil Fahmy, and with human rights advocates and representatives from religious, labor and youth organizations — civic society leaders who have concerns about the Egyptian government, and perhaps about American policy.

Since the military takeover, Egypt’s generals have appeared immune to American pressure and indifferent to Mr. Kerry’s seeming endorsement of their motivations.

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The Obama administration has refrained from categorizing the military’s toppling of Mr. Morsi as a coup, which would trigger a cutoff of the vast majority of a $1.5 billion annual assistance package. But American officials have been critical of the military’s crackdown on demonstrators and the detention of Mr. Morsi’s supporters.

To signal its concern, the White House in October suspended the delivery of major weapons systems, including Apache helicopters, F-16 fighter jets, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and parts for M-1 tanks, and has withheld about $260 million in support for the Egyptian budget.

At the same time, the United States has maintained support for Egypt’s counterterrorism programs, including the military’s efforts to secure Sinai, and programs to educate Egyptian military officials in the United States. Other programs that were untouched include the shipment of spare parts for many weapons in the Egyptian military’s inventory and aid for health care, education and the promotion of businesses in Egypt.

A senior State Department official traveling with Mr. Kerry said a decision on whether to lift the suspension of major weapons deliveries would depend on steps by the Egyptian authorities to protect human rights, allow peaceful demonstrations and permit a free press, among other measures.

But Mr. Kerry played down the issue, describing the temporary hold on weapons deliveries more as a step ordered by Congress than a move to punish Egypt’s military leaders for removing a democratically elected president.

“It is not a punishment,” Mr. Kerry said in response to a question from an Egyptian reporter. “It’s a reflection of policy in the United States under our law.”

Casting himself as a partner of Egypt’s leaders, Mr. Kerry told them in his private meetings that they needed to enact constitutional protections to build congressional support in Washington for more aid, according to a State Department official.

“He several times said, ‘You have to help us help you,’ ” the official said.

While reiterating support for the road map, General Sisi had a message of his own, one that may not square with the American hope that he will take quick steps to relax his grip.

“His sense was that patience is required on the part of the international community,” the official said.

Kareem Fahim contributed reporting.

A version of this article appears in print on November 4, 2013, on Page A11 of the New York edition with the headline: Egyptians Following Right Path, Kerry Says. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe